How to Change the Oil in a Ford F150

May 10, 2021

It's important to change your oil at recommended regular intervals in order to keep your engine functioning smoothly. Ford oil change intervals vary depending on the model and model year of the vehicle.

Usually, every 3,000 miles or every six months is recommended with conventional or semi-synthetic oil. Synthetic oil vehicles can go longer at 5,000 miles or eight months. Make sure to check your owner's manual for specifics or use your oil change indicator if you have one.

A truck oil change kit for your Ford F-150 can make DIY oil changes a lot easier and more convenient than going to the dealership or a lube shop. Power Oil Center offers oil change kits for the 1998-2008 models of Ford F-150. Let's take a look at how to change the oil on these trucks.

Before You Start

The first step to changing the oil on any vehicle is to be prepared with all the right tools and equipment. Your owner's manual should tell you how much oil to put in your particular engine and the recommended type and viscosity.

The 4.6L engine requires six quarts of SAE 5W-30 (full synthetic) for 1997 to 1999 models and SAE 5W-20 (full synthetic) for 2000 to 2010 models. The 5.4L engine also requires six quarts for the 1997 through 2003 model years of the same type and viscosity listed above. For 5.4L engines made between 2004 and 2010, the amount is seven quarts.

You can do an oil change in your garage or driveway as long as you have plenty of room. In most cases, there should be enough ground clearance to get beneath your F-150 without using a jack. If you do have to use a jack, make sure the truck is supported on jack stands and not the jack itself. The following list is some equipment to have on hand:

Shop towels or lint-free rag
Latex gloves (oil-resistant gloves are recommended as oil is a hazardous material)
DIY oil change kit (includes filter, funnel, crush washer, and the appropriate number of quarts)
Oil drain container
Boxed end wrench or socket

Step 1 - Open your F-150 hood and find the oil fill cap. It should be on the passenger side valve cover. Loosen the cap, but don't remove it yet. This may help the oil drain faster.

Step 2 - Place your oil drain container underneath the drain plug. If your drain plug is positioned on the side of the engine oil pan, you may need to be prepared to move the container quickly after taking the plug out as it might shoot out instead of going straight down.

Step 3 - Use a boxed end wrench or socket to remove the drain plug. Don't use an open-end wrench as this might strip the plug. Usually, you can just use the wrench to loosen the plug and then remove it the rest of the way by hand.

Step 4 - Once the oil is draining freely, use your rag or shop towels to clean the drain plug. Don't use any solvent while cleaning.

Step 5 - After the old oil has completely drained, replace the drain plug. Hand-tighten the plug as much as you can. Use the wrench to give it some extra snugness, but don't overtighten it.

Step 6 - Move the oil drain container under the oil filter or filter drain channel if your truck has one. Most of these trucks have an oil filter drain slide above the center front axle.

Step 7 - Remove the oil filter by unscrewing it with your hand. You can use a filter wrench if necessary, but it should come off easily by hand if it was initially installed correctly. In order to access the filter, you will need to go under the truck and reach upwards into the engine. Seal the old filter into a plastic bag for recycling purposes.

Step 8 - Use your rag or towels to clean the filter mounting area and make sure that the old filter gasket isn't sticking to the mounting surface.

Step 9 - Prepare the new oil filter by rubbing a small amount of clean motor oil into the filter gasket. Make sure the rubber o-ring is completely lubricated. You can also fill about half a quart of oil into the filter if you'd like. This can help prevent dry starts.

Step 10 - Once the gasket is fully lubricated, install the new filter in the same way as you removed the old one. Don't use a wrench to tighten the filter, but simply hand-tighten it snugly.

Step 11 - Now that the drain plug and filter are installed, remove the engine oil cap and position the funnel into the fill neck. Start slowly pouring in the new motor oil. After adding the appropriate amount, remove the funnel and replace the engine oil cap.

Step 12 - Close your hood and start your truck to circulate the oil and make sure the oil pressure goes to normal levels.

Rely on Power Oil Center for Factory Racing Parts oil change kits for the Ford F-150 as well as many other Ford models. An easy and convenient oil change kit from Power Oil Center has everything you need to change your oil at your leisure.